1. (also kwäf) A coiffure.
2. A tight-fitting cap worn under a veil, as by nuns.
3. A white skullcap formerly worn by English lawyers.
4. A heavy skullcap of steel or leather, formerly worn under a helmet or mail hood.

1. (also kwäf) To arrange or dress (the hair).
2. To cover with or as if with a coif.

[Middle English, from Old French coife, from Late Latin cofea, helmet, of Germanic origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.